


Mike Schmidt x Reader: Boss's Orders

by DespicableMe1



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: F/M, Five Nights at Freddy's - Freeform, Fluff, Other, Reader Insert, Sequel, fnaf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-03-26 05:31:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3838924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DespicableMe1/pseuds/DespicableMe1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(The following story is a sequel to the good ending of Till Death Do Us Part)<br/>To the animatronics, life seemed perfect. They had gotten rid of Phone Guy, they saved their friend, and business was better than ever. But unbeknownst to them, you had other plans. Being overworked and utterly exhausted from taking care of business and covering the night guard position, you decided it was time to hire a night guard. The only problem? None of the animatronics were happy about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

With the day at a close, I exited my office and locked the door behind me. Stretching my arms, I slowly made my way to the security office. Reaching the small room, I sank tiredly into the swivel chair and propped my feet up on the desk, a heavy sigh leaving my lips. Without bothering to check the time or glance at the cameras, I leaned back in the chair and shut my eyes.  
After a few silent moments, I heard a slight clanking sound from the vents above me. Without opening my eyes, I mumbled, "Good evening, Marion." Cracking my eyes open a little, I internally smirked at the pout that was quite evident on the Puppet's face. Of course, being humanoid certainly makes it easier to make facial expressions versus being animalistic like the others. "How are you tonight, dear?"  
He shrugged and leaned against the edge of the desk. "The same as always."  
"Honestly, Marion, I thought you missed working with the children. I don't know how to keep you from being bored."  
He groaned softly and whined, "Can't you give me something more exciting to do? Why can't I perform onstage or walk around the dining room?"  
I sighed, sitting up and turning to fully face him. "Mary, I can't just give you a random job, especially when someone else already has that job. I'm letting you do the work you were created for. Isn't that good enough for you? Especially given you were more or less out of order before. And as for roaming around, you have your own room to yourself. Why do you need to walk around the whole building?"  
He groaned again and flailed against the desk dramatically. "It's just not the same! It's so lonely in there. I don't have anyone but the other humans to interact with. And the children aren't capable of an engaging conversation. I want to be around someone more my speed."  
I sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of my nose. After a few moments of thought and of Marionette poking me incessantly, I said, "What if I let you go backstage when the others are on break so you can interact with them? Would that work?"  
He nodded vigorously and grinned widely. "That's perfect! Thank you, (y\n)!" That said, he ran out the door, shouting in victory.  
I shook my head, chuckling softly. "I swear, there's no pleasing him." A few seconds later, the chime rang out to signal midnight. I sighed once more and heaved myself to my feet. I bit my lip nervously as I made my way down the hallway to the show stage. "Time to tell them all about the... Changes." I gulped a little. It'd been a while since I'd seen any of them legitimately upset. I wasn't looking forward to it.  
The moment I walked into the main room, I was side tackled by a squealing Chica. "Hi, (y\n)!"  
I chuckled softly and patted her head. "Hey, Chica. How are you, sweetie?"  
"I'm great!" she cheered, releasing me from her grip. "Everything has been better with you here."  
I smiled, a bit of guilt creeping into my chest. "I'm glad to hear that."  
A loud "yar har har" sounded out throughout the room, echoing off the walls. Glancing over to Pirate's Cove, I saw Foxy excitedly leap out from behind the purple, starred curtains and off the stage. "Ahoy thar, lass!" he cheered happily. "It be good te see ye."  
"Hello, Foxy. Did the children treat you well today?"  
"Aye, they be wee lil angels," he said warmly. "Thank ye fer repairin' me."  
I nodded. "You're more than welcome, Foxy. I know a lot of people are thrilled to see you performing again."  
"Aye, but it all be thanks te ye, (y\n)."  
"Yes... Well anyway, where are Bonnie, Freddy, and Goldie? I need to talk to all of you."  
"I think Bonnie and Freddy are backstage arm wrestling. I'm not sure where Goldie is. Probably pestering Marion," Chica answered.  
As if on cue, Marionette came running out from Prize Corner with Goldie cackling madly and hot on his heels; a loud metallic clang followed by a yelp sounded out from backstage. Marionette ducked behind me, whining pitifully, and Goldie screeched to a halt in front of me. Without looking at them, I stated, "Foxy, Chica, could you both go and check on Bonnie and Freddy please? Before they accidentally damage each other?"  
"Yes, (y\n)!" they responded quickly, hurrying backstage.  
Still looking straight at Goldie, I calmly asked, "Golden Freddy, what have you done this time to terrorize Marion?"  
He cringed at the use of his full name and responded, "Nothing at all, (y\n)! He was just overreacting to a small prank, is all."  
"He was trying to dump pink paint all over me!" Marionette screeched angrily.  
Goldie shrugged. "I just thought he could use some color. Make him a little more child friendly."  
"That's enough, Goldie. I don't want to hear about anything else tonight. So please, please just leave Marion alone, OK? Besides, I have something important to discuss with everyone."  
Marionette perked up immediately at that. "Oh, does it have to do with free roam?!" he questioned excitedly.  
I rolled my eyes and said, "No, Marion, it doesn't have to do with free roam. Well,... Not exactly. Look, just behave you two. And stay here. I'm going to check on the others."  
"Yes, ma'am!" Goldie responded, giving me a cheesy salute.  
I turned and jumped up onto the mainstage where Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica usually stood to perform. Pushing back the thick curtains, I came across a somewhat irritating sight. Freddy stood backed against a wall, an incredibly apologetic look on his face, Chica stood between the two, Foxy was holding Bonnie back from Freddy, and Bonnie was trying to lunge at Freddy, one of his arms dislocated and hanging limply.  
"You broke my arm, you jerk!" Bonnie snarled, lunging once more at Freddy.  
"I'm sorry!" Freddy screeched defensively. "I didn't know it would break!"  
"Calm down, lad! It be an accident," Foxy pleaded vainly.  
"He should have been more careful!" Bonnie retorted.  
"That's enough, the lot of you!" I barked angrily. They all froze and looked apologetically to where I stood. "I sent Foxy and Chica back her to retrieve you two. I didn't realize they'd have to prevent you two from ripping each other to pieces. While you both should have known better than to act so foolish, Bonnie, you know it was an accident and that your arm can quite easily be repaired. Now, I want all of you to come into the main room. I have something I need to speak with all of you about. And Freddy, could you please grab the tools from the back so I can fix Bonnie's arm?"  
He nodded quickly and ran off. The others silently made their way out from behind the stage where Goldie and Marionette were sitting bored. The others sat down with them and I kneeled at Bonnie's side, examining his injured arm. After a few moments, Freddy appeared with the tool box in hand and set it down beside me. I pulled out a wrench and set to work.  
After a few moments of silence, aside from the metallic clicking of Bonnie's arm, Freddy asked, "So what were you wanting to talk to us about, (y\n)?"  
I stayed silent for a few moments, focus solely on Bonnie's arm. Then, "You all realize how hard I work, right?" There were murmured responses in agreement. "Then I imagine that you all realize how tired I am."  
"What's wrong, (y\n)?" Chica asked. "I don't understand where you're going with this."  
"I'm getting to it Chica." I finished fixing Bonnie's arm. "How's that, Bon?"  
"Much better, (y\n). Thank you," he said with a small smile.  
With a heavy sigh, I sank tiredly into a sitting position. "Guys, I just can't keep doing all this. Between running the place, working as the night guard, and repairing you guys when you damage yourselves, it's just too much to handle."  
"You're not going to leave us, are you?!" Bonnie shrieked, panicked.  
Before I could respond, Marionette shouted, "You can't leave us! Things are just now getting better!"  
"Guys!" I barked, silencing them. In a calmer voice, I continued. "I'm not quitting, OK? It's just... I can't keep doing all of this work myself. I'm going to have to divvy things up a bit."  
"What do you mean?" Goldie asked, a twinge of anxiety in his voice.  
"I'm hiring a night guard."  
They all gasped in shock and horror. "Lass, ye can't do this te us!" Foxy protested.  
"Foxy, I don't have a choice," I mumbled, deflating under their hurt expressions. "I know you still don't trust the idea of having night guards, but I can't keep doing it. Not if I'm going to run the place. I'm not getting any sleep. I'm scarcely finding time to eat. I don't know what else to do!"  
"Why don't you find someone to handle the business?" Freddy suggested. "Then you'd be able to stay overnight with us!"  
"I can't do that. Not only would I not be doing my job, but that could potentially get us shut down. Many in the business industry still don't trust this establishment, and I don't know anyone I'd willingly let handle the finances," I retorted.  
"What if you slept here? You could rest in the office," Chica suggested.  
"Again, I wouldn't be doing my job," I said. "And besides, isn't the point that you want to actually interact with me while I'm here?"  
"Well... Yeah...," she responded slowly.  
"And guys, it's not like you won't see me. I'm still going to be here during the day. And you guys can come see me any time you want to during your breaks. Not to mention I almost always stay for a couple hours after closing," I added, hoping they'd understand.  
They all stayed silent for a while. Then Freddy spoke up quietly. "You really are tired, aren't you."  
I nodded slowly. "I am. Very."  
Freddy gave a resigned sigh a said, "OK. Do what you have to do."  
The others gawked at him. "Are you crazy?!" Bonnie roared. "What if something like last time happens?!"  
"Bonnie, please," I groaned. "I promise, I'll thoroughly research anyone and everyone who applies. I'll make sure they're suitable for the job. And there's no guarantee anyone will apply for the job anyway. So I'll still be here for a while."  
He looked desperately at his friends and saw the resigned expressions on all their faces. He deflated and muttered, "All right, fine. Hire your stupid night guard."  
I nodded. "Thank you, Bonnie. Look, I know this is going to be hard on you guys. And I'd keep doing it if I could. But the point is that I can't. But I promise you all that whatever happens, whoever I hire, everything is going to turn out OK. I'll be sure to hire someone decent and if there are any problems, you guys can come to me and we'll work things out. But I need you guys to promise me something."  
"What be it, lass?" Foxy asked hesitantly.  
"I need you guys to promise me that you won't kill the night guard," I stated firmly.  
Freddy looked at me with a rather hurt expression. "(Y\n), you know us better than that. We wouldn't even think of doing that again. Right guys?" They all murmured in agreement. "That's not to say we won't mess with whoever you hire (cue skeptical glance), but we certainly won't kill the person."  
I offered him a small smile. "I know you won't. I just wanted to clarify it anyway. And I love you guys. I know this will be tough, but we'll get through it. We always do."  
"When will ye start interviewin'?" Foxy asked.  
"I'm starting tomorrow. And the person I deem most qualified is the person I intend to hire. So get ready. And you all had better be on your best behaviors."  
Freddy flashed me an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, (y\n). We'll be good. You just wait and see."


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the night passed normally with various animatronics getting into shenanigans and me having to reprimand them. Ever since I bought the restaurant and took full authority over them, they began acting more and more like their old selves, the souls of the children who died so long ago. I honestly didn't mind all that much. In many ways it was kind of cute. But it was also rather stressful since it meant repairing them if they got damaged. And as old as their suits were, it was quite easy to damage them.  
Thankfully, no one else got damaged in the span of what was left for the night. I unlocked the doors to the restaurant to let employees start filing in and shooed the animatronics back to their proper spots. Once everything was set up for the moment, I went to my office and collapsed into my chair. I glanced at the clock and saw it was around 6:30. Curling up into a tight ball, I closed my eyes with the intentions of sleeping for a few hours. I almost never went home anymore so the only sleep I got most the time was the short naps I managed to snag in my office. After a few days of practically no sleep when I first started working both jobs, I learned to take sleep where I could get it. Hopefully I'd be able to hire someone soon.

Mike's P. O. V.

I groaned sleepily and drug myself off the couch I was using as a bed. I've been out of work for a while now and I'm really beginning to feel the financial consequences. I sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, fighting off the yawns that threatened to escape my mouth. Getting to my feet, I shuffled into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinets and fridge. I sighed heavily and mumbled, "Oh, great. Week old pizza and two day expired milk. Yum..." I wolfed down a few slices of pizza and went for the questionable tap water. I'm just lucky they haven't kicked me out of this place, I guess. I tugged on some halfway decent clothes and left my apartment in the hopes of finding some work.

\- Time skip to 8:30 a.m. brought to you by the oh so whiny Marionette - 

After wandering around town for about two hours, I was both discouraged and exhausted. It seemed no one was hiring! I spotted a restaurant up ahead and began heading to the location. Coming closer, I saw the building was the children's restaurant Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Looking into the window, I noticed an add for a night guard position.   
My mood immediately brightened. Finally, someone who was hiring! But wait, isn't this the place that had a lot of murders a long time ago? And wasn't there one recently with some previous night guard? I'm not particularly fond of getting killed... But on the other hand, I really need to find some work. I guess it couldn't hurt to inquire. I straightened my clothes and flattened my hair before entering the establishment. "Well, here goes something."

Reader's P. O. V.

It seemed as if it hadn't been five minutes before I heard a soft knock at the door. I groaned and cracked my eyes open to glare at the door before turning my head slightly to look at the time. 8:30 meaning I got around two hours of sleep. Better than nothing, I guess...  
I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair. Straightening my clothes so I appeared somewhat presentable, I called out, "Come in!" Candace, one of the waitresses who worked the morning shift, poked her head in. "Yes, what is it, dear?"  
"Um, there's a man here inquiring about the night guard position," she said as more of a question than a statement. "I didn't know you were hiring a night guard."  
I cleared my throat and mumbled, "Er, yes, well... I quite miss sleeping. And going home. Or doing anything but work here. So, I figured it was for the best."  
She nodded sympathetically and said, "All right then. Shall I send him in?"  
"Yes, please do," I responded, putting on a forced smile. Well, I suppose it wasn't entirely forced. At least someone responded to the add. And surprisingly quickly, too.  
A few moments later, a man entered. He was dressed in jeans and a rather worn out T-shirt and his shaggy brown hair was in a slight disarray. To be quite honest, it looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed. However, he had a genuine face and I couldn't deny that his nervousness was a little cute. And his blue eyes were gorgeous. But I couldn't help to notice the desperation that emanated off him.  
He approached my desk and extended his hand, greeting, "Hello, Miss (l\n). My name is Mike Schmidt. I-I'm here to ask about the night guard position."  
I took his hand and noted the firmness of his handshake. "Hello, Mike. Yes, I heard you were curious about the position. Please, sit and we can run through a quick interview."  
He nodded and sat in the chair across from the desk. I eyed him for a moment before asking, "So how old are you, Mike?"  
He cleared his throat nervously and responded, "I'm 23, ma'am."  
I nodded. "Going to college?"  
"I did. I got my four years but I couldn't decide on a field to study so I dropped out. I did some small jobs here and there to pay the bills but I got fired from my last job."  
"Where did you work before?" I asked, curious.  
"I worked for a moving company. I-I got fired because I was clumsy and accidentally broke some furniture," he responded bashfully.  
I chuckled softly. "Well, not much to worry about breaking in the security office. Just don't pick up the tablet and you'll be fine."  
He chuckled a little himself and nodded. "May I ask what the job entails?"  
"Of course. It's a fairly simple job, really. You'd work from midnight to 6 a.m. and all you'd have to do is check the cameras," I explained.  
He nodded. "All right." He seemed to become very nervous then, hesitating to speak what was obviously on his mind. After a few moments, he finally said, "Could I ask you a few questions about some... Some rumors I've heard?"  
Already knowing where this conversation was heading, I mentally took a deep, calming breath and nodded. "Ask away."  
"Well... I've heard rumors about there being a lot of d-deaths. Specifically among night guards."  
I nodded. "Yes, for a long time that occurred quite frequently. More often than I imagine anyone would really like to admit. But you've no need to be concerned about that. The animatronics are harmless. I've been working as the night guard for quite some time and they haven't shown any sort of violence since shortly after I started working here. Once I took over the business, they became quite friendly." I grinned softly. "Almost child-like in demeanor, really. They can be rather rowdy at times, but only with each other. I assure you, none of them will stuff you into a suit."  
He nodded and continued, "I've also heard that some children were stuffed into the suits many years ago. Is that true?" he questioned.  
"Once again, you're correct," I answered.  
He nodded once more. "OK then. So what sort of contract would I have if I worked here?"  
I leaned forward and eyed him curiously. "You're still interested in the job?"  
He looked down at his hands. "I'm kind of desperate. I'd work just about anywhere if it meant getting paid a little." Looking up at me with pleading eyes, he continued, "I'd really appreciate just about any sort of work you could give me."  
Sizing him up for a few moments, I finally answered, "Very well. You seem trustworthy enough to me. Now, I won't fully hire you yet. I'll have you work the first five nights before making a final judgment. Now don't worry, you will be paid. Just not as much as being a full employee. I think $120 a week would be a good start."  
His eyes grew wide and he broke out into a huge grin. "Thank you so much, Miss (l\n)! I really appreciate this opportunity."  
I chuckled softly and gave a genuine smile. His enthusiasm was quite charming. "You're more than welcome, Mike. I certainly hope you prove to be a valuable employee. Now, given it's early morning and we're still getting ready for noon day rush and customers will soon be flowing in, I won't teach you how to do your job just yet. But come back around 11:00 tonight and I'll get you caught up to speed on what you need to do. I'm sure you'll find your job most enjoyable."  
"I'm sure I will," he said, getting to his feet. Shaking my hand once more, he said, "Again, thank you so much Miss (l\n). It'll be a pleasure working for you."  
I nodded and stood as well. Walking him to the door, I responded, "You're welcome, Mike. I'll see you tonight. And please, call me (y\n)."  
He smiled softly, a seemingly thoughtful expression crossing his face. "(Y\n)," he said, testing my name. Smiling wider, he continued, "It suits you well."  
I blinked dumbly a few times as a slight blush crawled up my neck. Clearing my throat I mumbled, "Er... Yes, well... Goodbye." I opened the door and watched curiously as he walked through the restaurant and out the building.

Mike's P.O.V.

I couldn't help the huge grin that spread across my face. I finally found a new job! I didn't even care if the pay for the first week was utter crap. At least it was something. And if I worked well, I'd get paid more and keep my job for even longer. Finally I might be able to get out of debt! Or... I can at least buy some groceries.  
Not only do I have a job now, but my boss is quite the looker too. With her bright (e\c) eyes, her (h\l) (h\c) hair that appeared soft as silk, and a smile that looked as if it could brighten any room, it's almost a shame I couldn't get a day job. Though, it's probably for the best. I mean, there's no way I could possibly go after my new boss. That would be wrong on so many levels.   
I passed down the block and continued on to my apartment. Working the graveyard shift now, I'd have to get used to odd sleeping hours. Not that it was a big deal, of course. But I might as well get some sleep before leaving to start my shift. Though as excited as I was, I wasn't sure how I could possibly sleep now.

Marionette's P.O.V.

When I heard footsteps approaching, I had to quickly hide. Peeking out from underneath one of the tables, I watched skeptically as (y\n) spoke some final words to the new guy, what was his name, Mike Schmidt? When he left the building, I observed (y\n) as she stared after him for a moment before she turned and went back into her office.  
So we have a new night guard now. I grinned mischievously and silently snuck back to my place in the prize corner. Now I couldn't wait till my break. The others are going to absolutely love my new plan for this Mike guy. Him on the other hand... Not so much.


	3. Chapter 3

\- Mike's P.O.V. -

When I finally made it home, I tossed out the milk and what was left of the pizza. After digging around my apartment for a few minutes, I scraped up around $20. I left once again and headed to the closest restaurant. "A new job calls for a celebration. And what better way to celebrate than to get some real food?"  
After dining on a lovely meal of very cheap tacos, I returned home, about half my money still in my pocket, and did laundry for the first time in over a week. I figured I'd need to look at least a little more presentable than when I was interviewed. Jeans without holes and a polo shirt ought to be good enough. Once that was laid out, I took a quick shower and went to bed till I had to leave for my shift. I'd never been so excited to start a job in all my life.

\- Marionette's P.O.V. - 

After about 20 minutes, it was time for a break. I chuckled with glee and quickly hurried backstage where Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Goldie were finishing up. Freddy noticed me first and eyed me with shock and curiosity.  
"What are you doing back here, Mary?"  
I curbed my enthusiasm for a moment to grin smugly and say, "(y\n) is allowing me to leave Prize Corner and interact with all of you during breaks."  
"Oh, I see... Well that's wonderful," he answered with forced happiness.  
I rolled my eyes and said, "Save the sarcasm, Fazbutt, and listen up. I've got a genius idea."  
While Freddy snarled angrily at the nickname, Goldie cocked his head to the side and asked, "What sort of genius idea?"  
I grinned wickedly, snickering a little at my plan, and said, "You guys know the new night guard is starting his first shift tonight?"  
They collectively gasped and Bonnie shrieked, "Already?! But (y\n) said it would be a while!"  
I chuckled and replied, "Not so, Bunny Boy! (Y\n) just hired him and he starts tonight. Some guy by the name of Mike Schmidt. He gets a trial run of five days and begins full time if he does well."  
Chica whimpered softly, appearing as if she was going to cry. "I knew it was going to happen, b-but I didn't think it would be so quickly..."  
"Ok, this is great and all, but what does this Mike person have to do with your so called plan?" Freddy questioned skeptically.  
I grinned wider and sensed my eyes turning black. "Well, we all know there's no way we can kill the guy. It would make (y\n) furious and have us shut down for good. BUT she never said anything about scaring him."  
Goldie smirked and said, "All right, you've got me intrigued. Now elaborate."  
I chuckled and answered, "Gladly. So I was thinking, we won't actually hurt the guy. But maybe we can have some fun and make him think we're going to. Make him think about the old stories and believe we'll stuff him into a suit. It'll be fun! And if it works, he'll have quit before the week is over."  
Everyone was silent for a moment aside from Goldie who was laughing. Then Chica said, "But (y\n) will get mad at us..."  
"Why should she get mad?" I snapped. "We're not hurting him. Besides, a little fear is good for people."  
"It would get (y\n) back... " Bonnie mumbled.  
"But she'd just find another replacement," Freddy argued. "What are we going to do, scare off every person who applies? (Y\n) would be furious!"  
"Oh, come on Fredbear!" Goldie chortled. "It won't hurt to scare off one guard. Besides, it'll be fun! It'll be just like old times."  
"But old times meant killing people. And being lonely," Chica whispered.  
"Come on guys. Just one guard? And I bet Foxy would agree too," I pleaded.  
Freddy glanced around at everyone before releasing a resigned sigh. "All right, we'll try it with one guard. But if (y\n) gets mad and says 'no more' or if he quits, that's the end of it. Deal?"  
I grinned wickedly. "Deal."

\- Reader's P.O.V. - 

The rest of the day continued on as normal. The only difference was Marionette's presence backstage during breaks, and based off of his wide grin, he seemed a lot happier being able to wander around. Though if I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked a little devious.  
By 9 o'clock, customers had left with satisfied smiles on their faces and the animatronics were able to relax a bit. I ventured out of my office and headed backstage to see everyone gathered. "Good evening, everyone," I greeted cheerfully.  
"Hello, (y\n)!" they all responded.  
"Did the day go well for you all?"   
I received a collective response of yes from everyone but Bonnie. "It went fine until some kid shoved pizza in my suit! Now I'm all greasy...   
I chuckled at his sour expression and remarked, " Honestly, Bonnie, how is it you're always the one getting into trouble?"  
"It's not like I planned it that way!" he cried defensively.   
I smiled and said, "Relax, Bon, I'll get you all cleaned up. Mary, be a dear and run to the supply closet for me."  
He nodded and stood quietly, heading to get the cleaning supplies. I eyed him curiously as he left. He's never that quiet... Or obedient.  
"How be yer day, lass?" Foxy asked, a small smile on his face.  
"It was fine, thank you Foxy. Um... Is something wrong with Mary? He's awfully quiet tonight." I said.  
"I don't think so," Freddy piped up. "He's probably just tired from hanging with us during breaks," he concluded, a hint of bitterness to his tone.  
Ignoring his rather sour expression, I nodded and said, "Perhaps you're right."  
A moment later, Marionette returned with the cleaning supplies and set them down beside me. "Thank you, dear." I began cleaning out Bonnie's suit and remarked, "I have another announcement for you guys."  
"Oh, what's that?" Goldie asked, a bit of forced curiosity to his voice.  
I glanced up at him and answered, "I hired a security guard this afternoon. He's starting tonight."  
"We know," Freddy sighed.  
I stopped what I was doing and looked at him in shock. "You do? How?"  
"Mary told us," Chica answered softly.  
'No wonder they're all acting oddly,' I thought to myself. "How did you find out, Marion?"   
"I overheard you interviewing him," he answered flatly.  
I eyed him skeptically, figuring he was exaggerating a bit when he said he "overheard" the interview, but said, "I see. Well, since you've already told them everything, then you all probably know his name is Mike Schmidt. He will be arriving here at 11 to learn what he needs to do and he will be here for at least this week. If I find he does a good job and if you all have no complaints other than you'd rather I work the night shift, I'll hire him full time. And I expect you all to treat him nicely. He's a very sweet man and he's excited to begin working here. I can expect to hear there were no troubles when I return in the morning, right?"  
"Of course, (y\n). We'd never cause any shenanigans," the Puppet answered sweetly.  
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously but shrugged it off. It he tried anything, the others would probably keep him in line. I finished cleaning out Bonnie's suit and rose to my feet. "Very well then. That's all for tonight. I'll be in my office until Mike shows up, if you need me. Good night, guys."

\- Time skip to 11 p.m. brought to you by Goldie tap dancing - 

\- Mike's P.O.V. - 

I jumped out of bed and threw my clothes on. I couldn't help the grin that was plastered on my face as I practically sprinted down the sidewalk to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Once I reached the door, I slowed down and smoothed out my clothes, straightened my hair, and evened my breathing. I pushed the door open and stepped into the building. Man, this place was creepy at night. As I got to the mainstage, I eyed the animatronics warily and called out, "H-hello?"

\- Reader's P.O.V - 

Jolting awake from dozing off some, I thought I heard a faint "hello." Quickly getting up from my chair, I opened the office door to see Mike standing in the middle of the room nervously. When he noticed me, he visibly relaxed and smiled softly. I returned the smile and walked over to him.  
"Good evening, Mike," I greeted. "Ready to begin your shift?"  
He nodded eagerly and answered, "I'm excited to get started."  
I grinned and said, "I'm very glad to hear that. Now, allow me to introduce you to everyone." Pointing to the stage, I motioned to each of the animatronics and said, "This is Bonnie, Freddy, Chica, and Golden Freddy. Though Golden Freddy prefers to be called Goldie." Turning towards Pirate's Cove, I continued, "Over there on the smaller stage is Foxy." Turning a final time, I motioned toward the Prize Corner and said, "In that room is the Marionette. You can call him by that name, the Puppet, Marion, or Mary. He'll answer to any of those." Smiling up at Mike, I remarked, "Think you can remember that."  
He nodded and answered, "I think I've got it."  
"Good," I said, turning and leading him toward the security office. "Now, to where you'll be working." Entering the office, I motioned toward the desk and said, "This cozy little room is where you'll probably spend most of your time. The tablet with the camera feeds is sitting on the desk. Simply tap on whichever room you want to view and it'll show you a live feed. The only camera still lacking video is the kitchen. I'm afraid I still haven't replaced that yet. Audio still works though. There are two buttons to each door in this office. The top button is for lights and the bottom button is for the door itself. While I doubt the animatronics will give you any problems, you're welcome to close the doors if you'd like some privacy. They'll probably be a little shy with you anyway. Now please keep in mind, the electronics have a limited power source. Whatever you use will drain the battery and you will run out of power if you aren't careful. If you do, the power will not regenerate itself until 6. But again, I doubt you'll have a need to use up much power. Your security guard uniform is in the desk. You're welcome to wear it if you like but you're not required to. I personally was always fond of the hat. Any questions?"  
Mike shook his head and said, "I've got it."  
I smiled and replied, "Excellent. In that case, good luck and good night. I'll see you at 6."  
"OK then. And (y\n)," Mike called out.  
I paused and looked back. "Yes, Mike?"  
He smiled shyly and said, "Thank you again for hiring me. I know it's just a test this week, but I really appreciate the chance."  
I chuckled softly. This guy was too sweet. "You're welcome, Mike. I'm sure you'll do just fine. I'll see you in the morning." That said, I turned and left for the first time in a very long while.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my apologies if the first half of this chapter is utter crap. I had the entire thing written out before, but when I tried to copy it over, something glitched and the first half disappeared. So please excuse how poor this is in comparison to the first copy.

When I got home, I sat in the driveway for a very long time. It felt so odd to actually be home. It felt like ages since I'd been within my own home. After a while, I slowly made my up to the front door and unlocked it. Upon entering, I found everything in near immaculate condition. It had been some time since most everything was even touched. I entered into the kitchen and drank a glass of water relax a bit. Once I downed the beverage, I went upstairs and hopped into a nice, hot shower a while. When I got out, I put on my pajamas and went to bed.

Though admittedly, I didn't immediately fall asleep. I guess part of the problem was that I wasn't used to being able to rest at this time. However, I couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety. I hope Mike was doing all right. I couldn't help but feel as if something bad was going to happen.

-Marionette's P.O.V. -

I poked my head out of the gift box and glanced up at the security camera. I grinned upon seeing I wasn't being watched up crawled out, hopping up and into the vents. I glanced longingly back down at the counter of Prize Corner and let out a low whine. I rather missed the relaxing sound of my music box. Perhaps (y\n) would be willing to get me a new one.

I crawled through the vents toward my intended destination. I came to a stop above Bonnie, Freddy, Chica, and Goldie. I leaned down toward the slits in the vents and hissed, "Hey guys, up here!"

Without looking, Freddy whispered, "What do you want, Marion?"

I scowled at his tone but asked, "Did you reestablish the prerecorded messaging system?"

"Yeah, I've got it all set up. Now get back to Prize Corner before you mess up your plan before it even begins," he mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, in a minute," I grumbled before redirecting my attention. "Bonnie, Chica, don't forget it's just you guys tonight."

"Yeah, we got it," Bonnie muttered.

"I'm still not comfortable with this...," whined Chica.

"Relax, you guys will do fine," I reassured. That's when I heard the bells ring to signal midnight. I grinned wildly and said, "Good night and good luck."

\- Mike's P.O.V. -

I dug through the desk and found the uniform that (y\n) had mentioned before. It looked at little old, appearing as if it'd been shoved in there for quite some time. I pulled the hat out and dusted it off. (Y\n) was right, it was rather nice. I placed it on my head and leaned back in my chair. Since my shift hadn't technically started yet, I didn't see much of a point in bothering to check the cameras just yet.

After what seemed like mere moments, a bell chimed throughout the restaurant signaling midnight. Almost immediately, the phone began to ring. I frowned a little and furrowed my brow. That was odd. Perhaps (y\n) was just checking in with me. But why would she? My shift technically just started. I tried to answer the phone only to discover it was a recording. But wouldn't (y\n) have mentioned that before. I sat up and listened as the message played.

"Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?"

How strange. I thought (y\n) was the last guard here. That must mean these messages are pretty old. They're probably just extra information about the job.

"Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced."

Blah blah blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay."

Damage or death? That seemed a little excessive. After all, (y\n) said the animatronics were harmless now. I guess they just haven't changed the wording yet.

"So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"

That happened a long time ago. That hardly seemed relevant to current events. I wonder why it was still mentioned.

"Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh."

This just had to be some sort of joke, a prank. (Y\n) was probably just trying to scare me since I'm the new guy. I probably don't have anything to worry about... Right?

"Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."

I took a deep, calming breath to relax myself before lifting up the tablet and flipping through the cameras. It seemed as if everything was in its proper place. Wait... Bonnie was gone! Frantically searching through the cameras, I found him standing in one of the party rooms.

I gulped nervously and set the tablet back on the desk. Both (y\n) and the guy on the phone mentioned the animatronics had a free roam mode. I probably didn't have anything to worry about. After all, (y\n) said it was perfectly safe and she did this job before me. Just as long as none of them came near my office.

I lifted the tablet back up just to find that Bonnie had moved. I looked through all the cameras but couldn't find him anywhere. That's when I heard what sounded like eerie, child-like moaning coming from my left. I slowly lifted my head and turned toward the door. I reached over and pressed the door light only to scream and punch the door button upon coming face to face with the purple monster.

Breathing shallow, beads of sweat dripping down my face, and hands shaking, I lifted the tablet back up and searched through the cameras. I noticed Foxy was still in Pirate's Cove and the Puppet was still in his box. However, when I flipped back to the main stage, I discovered Chica had left. I searched through all the rooms and couldn't find her anywhere but I heard what sounded like pots banging coming from the kitchen and assumed she was there. Just to be sure, I pressed the door light on the right and saw the hallway empty. I checked the left side as well and saw that Bonnie had moved. Looking through the cameras, I found him in the party room once again.

I placed the tablet down and took some more calming breaths. "You can do this, Schmidt. It's only for a few hours. You've got this." Glancing at the time, I saw it was already 4 a.m.. Looking down at the tablet once more, I noticed I still had over 40% battery. That was plenty to get through two more hours. Glancing through the cameras again, I saw Bonnie and Chica were still keeping their distances. However, Goldie was gone. But he wasn't in any of the cameras. I checked both doors and he wasn't there either. I checked down at the tablet and still couldn't find him. Where was that stupid bear?! That's when I heard child-like laughter. It... It sounded as if it was right in front of me. I looked up and saw him sitting limply in front of my desk.

I screamed in terror and fell backwards out of my chair. I scrambled to my feet in preparation to book it when I saw he was no longer there. Snatching up the tablet, I saw he had returned to the main stage.

In my attempts to find the golden bear and because of my heavy breathing and my heart pounding loud in my ears, I failed to notice two sets of animatronic footsteps close in on the office. When I heard moaning coming from nearby on my right, my head shot up and I shrieked in terror upon seeing Chica entering the doorway. I leapt to my feet and prepared to sprint out the opposite door just to find my path blocked by Bonnie. I began to hyperventilate as I backed myself against the wall. They closed in on me and reached out to grab me... When the bell chimed for 6a.m..

Bonnie and Chica halted before they both turned an exited the office. Snatching up the tablet, I watched them as they returned to their proper places onstage. I placed the tablet back on the desk and heard the distant sound of keys turning in a lock. That must be (y\n). I listened as her feet padded down the hallway toward my office. She came into view and smiled cheerfully at me.

"Good morning, Mike. I trust everything went well?" I didn't say anything. She frowned and furrowed her brow. "You look a little pale. Pale you feeling all right?" Again, I didn't say anything. Instead, I hit the floor, unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

\- Reader's P.O.V. -

I gasped in surprise and ran over to the fallen security guard. "Mike!" I called out, shaking him gently in attempts to wake him up. Getting up, I sprinted down the hallway to the main stage. "Freddy, get a wet cloth and bring it to the security room immediately. Bonnie, go find some pain killer and a bottle of water. The rest of you, stay where you are."  
Freddy creased his brow and stared at me in confusion. "What's going on, (y\n)?"  
"Mike's unconscious. It looks to me as if something scared him. I'm not going to ask which one of you did it right now, but we're all definitely going to sit down and have a chat before opening. For now, just get everything I mentioned. Quickly!" That said, I ran back to the security room to keep an eye on Mike and hope he'd wake up soon.

\- Freddy's P.O.V. -

My ears flattened against the top of my head and I shifted nervously on my feet. I glanced over at Bonnie and Chica and saw they wore similar expressions. In a soft voice, I murmured, "I think you guys may have overdone it a bit."  
Bonnie jolted slightly at my voice and looked at me fearfully. "W-we didn't mean to Freddy. H-honest! We just... Lost control."  
Chica nodded quickly. "B-Bonnie's right. I-I can't explain it. But when we were trying to scare Mike, something happened to us. It's like we weren't us anymore. I... I felt like I actually wanted to kill him. S-somthing's wrong, Freddy. I'm scared..." She sniffled and scooted closer to Bonnie.  
I gulped nervously but hid my anxiety behind a forced smile. "I'm sure it's nothing, guys. Try not to worry about it. And relax, Mike is fine. It's probably just your nerves getting to you anyway. Though I think it's safe to say we won't be scaring Mike anymore. Bonnie, let's just get what (y\n) asked for. Everything will be OK."

\- Reader's P.O.V. - 

I sat anxiously at Mike's side stroking his hair gently and waiting for Freddy and Bonnie. I glanced at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. What was taking them so long?  
After a few more minutes, I heard clanking footsteps coming from the right hallway. I shuddered briefly at what that sound used to mean. Staring out the office window, I saw Freddy approaching. I sighed in brief relief and hopped up to meet him. "There you are, Freddy. I was starting to wonder."  
He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, (y\n)." He held out his hand which contained a wet washcloth. "This is what you asked for, right?"  
I nodded and took the cloth from him. "Yes, thank you Freddy." That said, I returned to Mike's side and dabbed at his forehead with the cloth. After a couple more minutes, he groaned softly and his eyelids began to flutter. "Oh, thank goodness! Freddy, could you go see what's taking Bonnie so long? He nodded and left.  
Mike's eyes fluttered open and he squinted at the light from the office. Groaning again, he mumbled, "What happened?"  
"You passed out, Mike," I answered softly.  
His eyes opened wide and he shot up into a sitting position. I jumped in surprise and fell backwards. "Geez, take it easy, Mike. It's OK." I stood and tried to pull him toward the chair to rest.  
He yanked away and began backing toward the left hallway. "N-no, (y\n), w-we've got to get out of here! Those things will kill us!"  
I sighed in frustration. The animatronics were definitely going to get an ear full later. I felt bad for Mike. The poor guy was as white as a sheet, his normally bright eyes were a dull grayish color, and he was shaking horribly. "Mike, please calm down. Nothing is going to kill you, I promise."  
He shook his head and grabbed my arm, pulling me with him. "No, we've got to go. I'll explain once we're out of here, but we need to leave now."  
As he turned to leave the office, Bonnie appeared in the doorway with a container of pain killers in one paw and a bottle of water in the other. Mike screeched in terror and sprinted out the other hallway. I shot Bonnie a glare and saw he was wearing a guilty expression. I ran out the hallway after Mike, calling for him. "Mike, wait! It's OK!" But by the time I reached the main stage, he was already out of the building.  
I ran out of the restaurant and found him a few blocks down, leant over in an alleyway and puking. "OK, Mike," I cooed sympathetically and went over to him, rubbing his back until he was through and had calmed down some. After a few minutes, he stood up, sighing shakily, and wiped off his mouth.  
"S-sorry," he mumbled, staring down at his feet.  
"It's ok, Mike," I said gently, rubbing his arm. "How about I take you to get some coffee and breakfast, all right? Consider it my treat for whatever happened last night. Then, you can explain to me what happened."  
He glanced up and nodded slowly. "OK."

\- time skip brought to you by Chica's evil cupcake - 

We stopped by a local diner and I bought Mike a cup of coffee and a hardy breakfast of eggs, bacon, grits, and toast. I got myself some coffee and a bagel. I glanced over at Mike and saw he had already downed his coffee and was halfheartedly picking at his food. I cleared my throat and glanced back and forth at Mike before choking out, "More coffee?  
He raised an eyebrow at my reaction but said, " Um... Yeah, sure."  
I waved the waitress over and she poured some more coffee into both our cups. I mumbled a thank you before turning back to Mike and clearing my throat again. "So uh... Are you ready to talk about what happened?"  
He gulped and looked down at his plate, the small bit of color that had returned to his cheeks once more draining from his skin. He glanced back up and nervously looked around the diner to make sure no one was within earshot before looking back at me and nodding. "Y-yeah. I think I'm ready."  
I nodded encouragingly and subconsciously scooted closer to him. "All right then. What happened after I left?" I quickly added, "Take your time."  
In a hushed and somewhat shaky voice, he began. "Well, everything was OK for a while after you left. Nothing really happened. B-but then the bell chimed for midnight. That's when things started going wrong. As soon as the bell chimed, the phone started to ring. When it ended, a message began to play. It started out as some sort of greeting, but then it got really dark and started talking about how the animatronics would stuff me into a suit if they saw me around."  
I stopped him there. "You heard a message playing? But that's impossible. I disabled the messaging system as soon as I bought the place. It couldn't have gone off!"  
Mike gave me a grave look. "But it did."  
I looked down at the counter and muttered, "The guy isn't even alive anymore, thank goodness."  
Mike gasped in horror. "W-what did you say?!"  
"The guy who recorded those messages, he's dead now. A blessing, really. He was the guy who murdered those kids years ago and stuffed them into the animatronics' suits. He died shortly before I took over business. It's real justice if you ask me. He would have killed me too if the animatronics didn't stop him. I didn't even know who the guy was." I growled lowly, "I'm glad he's dead."  
Mike stared at me with wide eyes before mumbling, "I-I'm sorry, (y\n). I-I had no idea."  
I smiled at him and said, "It's all right, Mike. It's in the past anyway."  
He nodded and said, "I guess karma really does work."  
I chuckled and said, "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Anyway, go one with what happened."  
He nodded and continued. "After the message ended, I started looking through the cameras. It wasn't long before I noticed Bonnie had disappeared off the stage. I kept an eye on him for a while, but when checking through the cameras once, I couldn't find him. I checked the door and he was standing right outside!" Mike began shaking in fear. "I-I could hear his moaning... Like a child's."  
I reached over and took one of his hands, squeezing it comfortingly. His wild eyes flashed at me and I offered him a small smile. "It's OK, Mike. You're safe here." He gulped and nodded slowly. Taking a few calming breaths, he kept going.  
"Before too long, he returned to one of the other rooms. I thought I could relax some, but then Chica left too. She didn't really bother me much though and Bonnie seemed to be keeping his distance too. But shortly before 6 a.m., I saw that Golden Freddy had left. I looked through all the cameras but couldn't find him anywhere. T-that's when I heard it again... Like a child..." He began shaking violently again. "I-I looked up and he was just sitting there slumped over like... Like he was dead! I fell out of my chair, but when I got up to run for it, he was gone. But while I was distracted with him, I didn't notice that Bonnie and Chica had snuck up on me. T-they were in the office! I-I couldn't run! T-they cornered me a-against the wall a-and I thought they were going to... T-that they would..."  
He began breathing shallowly and he was even paler than earlier. I shook him some and said, "Mike, it's all right. You're safe now. Nothing is going to hurt you. Just breathe!"  
The waitress from earlier started to approach looking both concerned and annoyed but Mike waved her off. Breathing deeply he gasped, "I-I'm fine... I'm fine."  
"Are you sure?" I asked, eyeing him worriedly.  
He nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm all right now." Clearing his throat, he added, "Anyway, right when I thought they would do me in, the bell chimed 6 a.m. and they both stopped and returned to their spots. Then you arrived and the rest is history."  
I nodded and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Mike. If it makes you feel any better, I went through something similar. But I promise you I'll talk to the animatronics and get this all straightened out. I'm sure it was all just a big misunderstanding. Just come back tonight and you'll see, OK?"  
He eyed me warily but eventually let out a heavy sigh and nodded, "All right. I'll come back."  
I grinned widely in relief. "On, wonderful! And Mike, I promise that everything will be OK from here on out. You just wait. I'm sure that before all this is over, you and the animatronics will be great friends."


	6. Chapter 6

After Mike and I finished our meals, I sent him home with the strict instructions of getting some rest and relaxing. As soon as he left, I hurried quickly back to the restaurant. Unfortunately, the place had already opened and customers were flowing in. My talk with the animatronics would just have to wait till closing.

\- Marionette's P.O.V. - 

As soon as the first break arrived, I skipped out on going backstage (not that the others minded) and decided to visit (y\n). I was really hoping she'd be willing to replace my music box. I really did miss it.  
I opened the door to her office and saw her sitting at her desk doing some sort of paperwork. It didn't seem like she heard me come in so I walked up to the front of her desk and stood there staring. After a few minutes, I got bored of not being noticed so I screeched at her like I did some of the previous night guards. Bad move...  
(Y\n) shrieked and fell out of her chair. I started laughing till I saw the glare she was wearing on her face. I gulped and backed away a little. Even though she was human, (y\n) was still scary when she got angry.  
She pulled herself up off the floor and shouted, "What the heck, Mary?!"  
"Er... Um... S-sorry, (y\n)," I mumbled.  
She sighed and sat back in her chair. "If you're not here for something, Marion, then please leave. I'm very busy this afternoon."  
"No, wait! Um...," (cue eyebrow raise) "I was actually wondering if I could have a small favor."  
"After what you all did to Mike last night, I highly doubt I'll be doing any of you favors for a long time," she growled angrily. "And besides, I just did you a favor by letting you free roam during break. What more could you possibly want?"  
I twirled my thumbs bashfully and responded, "It's nothing big, really. I was just wondering if I could have a new music box. I've really missed my old one for a while and I'd love if I could have one again.  
"(Y\n) sighed and mumbled, "I can't believe I'm doing this," before saying more clearly, "Fine, I'll get you a new music box. But this is my last favor to you Marion. I'm not happy with any of you at the moment and I really shouldn't be doing this for you. But mark my words, if you screw up, be it something to do with Mike, the children, their parents, or the other animatronics, I will take it away and you won't get it back. Is that understood?"  
I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, (y\n), thank you so much!"  
She nodded and said, "You're welcome. Just don't make me regret doing it." Returning to her paperwork, she ended the conversation with, "I'll have it in by tomorrow. And Mary, please let the others know I need to speak with all of you immediately after closing. Though I'm sure they know already."  
"Yes ma'am," I said before exiting the office. I returned to prize corner and awaited my next break to speak with the others.

\- Reader's P.O.V. -

Once Mary left, I set down the paperwork and laid my head in my hands. Where do I go wrong with the animatronics. They were all so sweet before. Sure, they got into their own little shenanigans, but I never expected them to revert back to how they were before. What if they actually intended to kill Mike? Not only would the restaurant be shut down, but they'd be scrapped for good. We're they really willing to risk so much? I must be missing something. There has to be something else at play here.  
For the first time since discovering phone guy's secret, I got online and researched the history of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Of course, I already knew about the children being murdered and stuffed into suits, someone being framed for it, and how Fredbear's Family Diner was the first location where the incident took place. But was there something more? I never searched back before Fredbear's because I never thought it was necessary and if I recalled correctly, phone guy had used a golden suit to lure the children and commit the murders. However, the only golden suit I'm aware of would be Goldie's and he never mentioned anything about that. Granted that could possibly explain why Freddy disliked him for so long. Though Goldie's antics could as well. It was definitely time for some more digging.  
After a long time, I came across a very old newspaper article. The name of the building was crossed out for some reason, but the article included an image that shocked me. In the picture was Golden Freddy and what looked like a golden version of Bonnie. I'd never seen that animatronic before so I guess it was scrapped or moved elsewhere. Scrolling through the article, I read that these just weren't animatronics, but they also doubled as suits. By simply pulling a lever on the inside of the suit, the harmful parts were pushed to the side and a human could cli mb inside and walk around in the suit. But as the article continued, the story became more horrid. Both suits could be faulty at times. The first accident occurred a few months after the two had been featured. Both levers collapsed and crushed two workers, causing them to bleed out. Immediately after the incident, a safe room was established that the animatronics were unable to detect where a worker could go to die without bothering customers should another incident occur. While both suits proved faulty at times, the Spring Bonnie suit proved to kill an unnatural amount of individuals, earning it the name Springtrap. After quite a few deaths occurred, the place was shut down and the suits were retired.   
Beyond that, I didn't find much more on the history. Quite obviously Golden Freddy was renovated and brought back later. At least, I think he was. Though I didn't find anymore information on Spring Bonnie. Also, I found a handful of articles mentioning strange occurrences after the two original deaths due to the suits. Some individuals even claimed to recall shadowy figures that looked like the two animatronics. How strange. This history was even darker than I could have ever believed. I was definitely going to have to speak with Goldie soon. But glancing uip at the clock, I saw it would have to wait. It was closing time and I had a more pressing issue to deal with.  
I exited the office and took the time to make sure everything had been cleaned properly, was in it's rightful place, and that every door except the front was locked. Once I had inspected everything, I went to the main stage and found all of the animatronics standing there waiting. I wasn't sure if Mary actually informed them too or if they just knew, but I was just relieved I didn't have to round up anyone.  
As I approached I saw Chica hide some behind Freddy and Bonnie wearing the same guilt expression he had earlier that morning. Once I reached the stage, I cleared my throat and said, "Good evening, everyone."  
"Good evening, (y\n)," they all responded quietly.  
"I imagine you all know why I've assembled you here so I'm going to cut to the chase," I began. "Bonnie, Chica, Goldie, I know you three are responsible for terrorizing Mike last night, though I imagine it wasn't wholly your plan. Now I want to know whose idea it was and why you guys decided to follow along."  
"It was my idea," Mary spoke up quietly. "I weasled them all into playing along. B-but the plan was never to hurt him! We just wanted him to go away. We miss you, (y\n)...."  
I sighed and sat down beside them. "Look, I know you guys miss me, and if there was a way I could balance running the business and being the night guard, I would do it. But the point is that I can't and you all are going to have to learn to accept that. And you can't chase off every guard I hire. Besides, you nearly gave Mike a heart attack! I'm impressed he's even willing to give it another night. So please, do the both of us a favor and be nice to him. Better yet, just stay in your spots tonight. I'm sure that'll put his mind at ease. Can you guys do that? For me?"  
They all nodded and Freddy said, "We will, (y\n)."  
I smiled softly. "Good. Now Mike should be here any minute now. I'm going to go ahead and head home. Be nice you guys!"  
"We will be, (y\n). Good night!"

\- Mike's P.O.V. - 

As soon as I had gotten home, I went straight to the couch and collapsed on the cushions, falling asleep. I didn't wake up again until 11 p.m. at which time I quickly showered and put on some fresh clothes before leaving for the restaurant. I really hoped the night wouldn't be so bad. As much as I wanted to trust (y\n), I did value my life some. Hopefully she got it all straightened out.  
When I reached the restaurant, I nearly collided with (y\n) on the way in. "Oh, Mike! What perfect timing. I was just leaving. Anyway, I'd just like to thank you for coming back. I spoke with the animatronics and I'm sure tonight will go much more smoothly."  
I smiled and said, "Thank you, (y\n). I appreciate it. And I figured it was all worth a second chance."  
She beamed and cheerfully replied, "I'm so glad to hear that! Oh! Before I forget, I didn't have time to fix the phones so you'll likely hear another message tonight. Just ignore what it says and continue with your job. It'll cut off after a few minutes anyway." Looking down at her watch, she frowned and said, "Well, I better not hold you up any longer. You're shift will start soon. So, good night, Mike."  
"Good night, (y\n)!" I called out, waving after her. Once she was out of sight, I gulped and turned toward the entrance. It was time to see what nightmares awaited me tonight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to go ahead and apologize. I know its taking me a long time to update chapters, but I promise you guys I'm going to try to write more.

I entered the restaurant and noticed the once again malevolent feeling that hung in the air. It was still incredibly dark, making the place appear twice as eerie as it already was. It seemed so impossibly silent that a pin could drop in a closed room on the opposite side of the building and I would still be able to hear it.  
I passed by the animatronics quickly, not wishing to spend any more time in their presence than necessary. I entered the office and practically collapsed into the chair. I once more donned the security guard hat and clutched the tablet nervously, waiting for the midnight bells to chime. It wasn't long at all before death once more greeted me.  
The bells chimed and once more the phone began to ring. I know (y\n) said to just ignore it, but I couldn't help to be intrigued by what the guy had to say. A dead killer or not, he seemed to know what he was talking about the night before. It might not hurt to at least listen to what he has to say.

“Uhh, Hello? Hello? Uh, well, if you're hearing this and you made it to day two, uh, congrats! I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Freddy and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses. Uhh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place. You know...  
Uh... Interestingly enough, Freddy himself doesn't come off stage very often. I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right? I-I also want to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors. So if-if you can’t find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights. Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react... Uh, not that you would be in any danger, of course. I'm not implying that. Also, check on the curtain in Pirate Cove from time to time. The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time. I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know. Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control! Uh, talk to you soon."

Gosh, I hope (y\n) straightened things out. I really didn't want another character to have to deal with. But alas, mere moments after the recording ended, I heard some sort of deep, thickly accented voice singing from what sounded like Pirate's Cove. I checked the cameras to be sure and low and behold, Foxy was peeking his head out of the curtains. It seemed (y\n) was wrong after all.

\- Freddy's P.O.V. - 

We sat still in our proper places as (y\n) left. Chica wanted to wait at the front door and greet Mike, but I knew that would terrify him. After all, he was given a good fright and had a very good reason not to trust us. Bummed as Chica was, she understood and everyone agreed to stay still, silent, and not bother him any tonight. We wanted to gain his trust and befriend him after all. And if he's good enough for (y\n), he's good enough for us.  
We all stayed in our places as midnight drew closer. Once the bell chimed, we heard the phone ringing in the office. I cringed internally. Dead or not, the memories of phone guy still haunted me and the others and I knew the recordings would only make Mike more wary of us.  
As the recording ended, we all heard a strange sound. For the first time since (y\n) joined us, Foxy was singing it Pirates Cove. Why was he doing that?  
Without moving, Chica whispered, "Its been a long time since Foxy sang that old sea shanty. Not since it implied, er, something darker. Why do you think he started this up again?"  
"I don't know," I whispered back. "Maybe he's trying to comfort Mike, but I doubt it will work. He'll probably just scare the poor guy more." That's when I heard the sound of fabric rustling. I glanced over and what I saw would have turned my skin pale if I had any. Foxy was leaning out of the curtains, jaw hanging wide open in a sadistic grin. But the most disturbing part, the part that proved Chica and Bonnie had reason to worry and that something was definitely wrong, was that his eyes were pure black except for white spots for pupils. This wasn't Foxy, this was something else.  
"Bonnie, Chica, we need to do something. If we don't find a way to restrain Foxy or snap him out of whatever trance he's in, he'll try to kill Mike." Neither of them said or did anything. "Guys?" They both slowly turned their heads to stare at me. I gasped in horror. Their eyes were the same as Foxy's. With a sadistic grin of his own, Bonnie turned his head around forward and stepped off the stage, heading to where Mike sat awaiting what could very possibly be his doom.

\- Mike's P.O.V. - 

I know the phone guy said I need to keep an eye on Foxy, but with the sound of heavy, metallic footsteps sounding through the building, it was going to be difficult balancing between Foxy, Bonnie, and Chica. I was just going to have to give up some camera time for the previous night's visitors and be more adamant about checking the doors.  
I quickly switched off Pirate's Cove and onto the main stage. I noticed Bonni had left. Goldie, Chica, and Freddy were still there, but Freddy seemed to have a fearful and almost sympathetic expression. Switching off the main stage, I managed to locate Bonnie in one of the party rooms. Though he was nearing his way here, he was still pretty far away. I looked away from Bonnie and switched back to Foxy. I gulped nervously and felt my heart sink. He was leaning farther out of the cove. I could tell he was going to run soon.  
I set down the camera and tried to control my breathing. I checked both doors and saw Bonnie and Chica were still elsewhere. Glancing at the power, I cringed. I was using too much. I was going to have to ease up on my use or else I'd run out. Then I'd really be dead.  
Looking back at the cameras, I was relieved to see that Foxy hadn't moved any. However, Chica had left the stage and Bonnie had moved as well. I found Bonnie closer than before at the end of the hallway and it sounded like Chica was in the kitchen. I glanced back at Foxy and noticed he was staring directly at the camera, his head tilted at what seemed an impossible angle.  
I set the camera back down once more and checked the left hallway. I screamed in terror and shut the door upon seeing Bonnie's face in the window. I switched on the light to the right door and quickly shut the door. Chica was paying me a visit too. I sat nervously and watched as the power slowly drained. It was 5 a.m. and I was down to 5%. I turned in the door lights to check if Bonnie and Chica were gone. They were still there!  
I whimpered nervously. After a few more moments, I thought I heard what sounded like the retreating of metal feet. Checking the door lights once more, I was thrilled to see they both were gone. I opened the doors without bothering to check where they were and checked on Pirate's Cove. The fox was gone!   
I searched frantically through the cameras and found him sprinting down the hallway. Before I could shut the door, he leaned into the doorway and let out a terrifying screeched. I cried out in terror and fell out of my chair. I tried to get to my feet and run but Foxy was on me before I could run. He grabbed my shirt with his hook and my shoulder with his hand and started dragging me down the hallway. Within moments, we had arrived to a storage room. He opened the door and threw me to the floor. He shut it behind him so I had nowhere to run.  
I looked up and saw a Freddy suit sitting on the table. I tried to crawl away but Foxy stabbed my leg with his hook and drug me back toward him. I screamed in pain and terror but my struggling was futile. He lifted me and prepared to stuff me into the suit.  
As he was lowering my legs in, I heard the bell chime for 6 a.m.. Foxy stopped and dropped me, causing me to hit the floor and the suit to clatter down along with me. I watched as he opened the door and headed back to the main room. I also watched Bonnie walk by. I quickly stood and limped my way back to the security office. I looked at the camera and saw everyone back in their rightful spots.  
I dropped the tablet onto the table and leaned my head into my palms. I couldn't stop shaking and my leg was throbbing. I didn't really care that it was bleeding. I just wanted to leave. After a few minutes I heard (y\n) unlock the door. I was going to have to tell her I quit. I couldn't keep doing this. I just hoped she'd understand.  
Her footsteps sounded out closer and closer to the room. As she entered the office, she said, "Good morning, Mike. How was last -" She stopped suddenly. Within moments, she was at my side. "Goodness, Mike, what happened?!"  
I humbly shook my head. "I-it wasn't any better. It was worse. It wasn't just Bonnie and Chica now. F-Foxy joined the club too." My voice cracked as I said, "He almost killed me. He drug me to the storage room and tried to stuff me into a suit. I-If 6 a.m. hadn't come, I'd be dead."   
"Oh, Mike... I'm so sorry," she whispered. It sounded as if she might be crying. Then she hugged me, saying, "I don't understand what's happening, but I promise you I'll figure this out."  
I looked at her and saw she indeed was crying. I slowly hugged her back, nuzzling my face into her hair. My shaking began to slow and my breathing calmed. We held each other like that for a while. After some time, she released me and said, "Do you trust me?"  
I paused for a moment but nodded slowly. "Yes, I trust you, (y\n).  
She nodded. "Good. Then follow me."  
"Where are we going?" I asked curiously.  
"I'm going to introduce you to the crew."


	8. Chapter 8

\- Reader's P.O.V. - 

Mike's face paled again and he began to shake his head vigorously. "N-n-no way! T-those things would kill me!" He backed himself against the wall. "There's no way your getting me anywhere near those monsters! I'm sorry, (y\n), but I quit."  
I placed my hands on his shoulders to get him to calm down some. "Mike, I know you're afraid and don't trust them. But please relax and just listen for a moment. I'm telling you, they're all very different during the day. I can vouch for that myself. I don't blame you for wanting to quit, I really don't. But I want you to see what they're all really like so you understand that whatever is going on isn't normal."  
He stood silent for a few moments before his shoulders slumped and he nodded slowly. "All right, (y\n). I-I guess I'll meet them."  
I grinned widely. "Wonderful. I know they're all excited to know you. Well, most of them anyway. They were actually hoping to befriend you." I let go of his shoulders and we began to walk down the hallway. That's when I noticed he was limping. "Mike, is something wrong with your leg?"  
He grimaced and said, "Foxy stabbed me with his hook when I tried to get away."  
My eyes widened. "Goodness! They really did a number on you huh." I bent down and rolled up his pants leg. "It doesn't look too bad. He ripped the skin, sure, but he didn't hit any major veins or arteries. I'll bandage it up and you should be OK."  
He smiled and said, "Thanks, (y\n). That's really nice of you."  
I smiled back at him as I stood up. "Don't mention it. It's the least I can do."  
We continued down the hallway till we entered the main room. The animatronics stood stock still in their places on stage, gazing blankly off into space. I cleared my throat and said, "Guys, I want to introduce you to Mike. You can come say hi if you want."  
Chica, of course, was the most excited. She squealed and practically ran off the stage, nearly crushing Mike in a hug. "Yay! I'm so happy to finally meet you, Mike! (Y\n) has told us so much about you!"  
"C-can't... Breathe..." Mike gasped out.  
"Oops! Sorry, Mike," Chica apologized, quickly releasing him. "I did the same thing with (y\n) when we first met."  
I chuckled fondly at the memory. Freddy was the next to introduce himself. "Hello, Mike. I'm sure you already know my name is Freddy. But it's a pleasure to meet you and I apologize for the inconveniences we've put you through the last couple nights."  
Mike nodded and said rigidly, "It's a... Pleasure to meet you too."  
Goldie snorted from where he remained onstage. "Yeah right. We terrified the crap out of you. We all know (y\n) made you come here and be introduced to us."  
I shot him a nasty glare and said, "Golden Freddy, be nice to Mike. Yes, you did frighten him and being half decent is the least you can do. And I didn't MAKE him come here."  
Bonnie smacked the back of his head, earning a growl from Goldie, and snapped, "Yeah, Fazbutt. You never even showed up on the first night before. You chose to scare him the first night he worked here."  
That's when the Marionette appeared. "Bonnie is right. Sure, we all agreed to frighten him the first night, but it was always typical of Bonnie and Chica to be first."  
Freddy nodded in agreement. "That's right. And as proved this night, there is something very wrong happening."  
Chica cringed and squeaked, "Mike, sir, I swear we didn't mean to come after you this time. We all agreed not to b-but, I don't know, something was making us."  
Bonnie nodded vigorously. "Yeah, Chica is right. It didn't even feel like we were controlling ourselves. The first night we thought it was just us and that we were over thinking things, but as soon as we heard Foxy singing and saw him leaning outside Pirate's Cove, we knew something was very wrong." He looked over at me. "(Y\n), this isn't our doing."  
I nodded and said, "I know, Bonnie. But we'll figure it out." I glanced around and added, "Speaking of Foxy, where is he?"  
"He's still in the cove," said Freddy. "He hasn't left since 6 a.m."  
My eyebrows creased together worriedly. "I'm going to go check on him. Mike, how about you stay here and get to know the others?"  
He nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me." He looked over at the others. "(Y\n) was right, you all seem very friendly. I should have believed her and I apologize for misjudging all of you."  
Freddy smiled kindly. "It was perfectly understandable, though. I'm just relieved you agreed to meet us. We really did want to befriend you."  
As they all continued chatting, I made my way over to Pirate's Cove. I lifted myself onto the stage and peeked inside the curtains. It was very dark and hard to see, but I noticed Foxy curled up on the floor with his back turned to me. "Foxy?"  
I saw him cringe and he whined softly. "G-go away lass. I-I jus' be a monster. I be 'onest befer when I say it."  
I entered into the cove. "You're not a monster, Foxy. It wasn't your fault. Bonnie and Chica are having the same problem too. It's not you, sweetie, it's something else."  
He looked back at me, his yellow eyes shining dully. "Ye promise, lass? I didn' mean te hert the lad, really."  
I came over and sat by him. "I promise, Foxy. And you didn't hurt Mike too bad. It's something that can easily be bandaged up. He'll be OK." I smiled softly at him. "He's outside talking to the others if you'd like to meet him."  
Foxy looked down at the floor sadly. "I don' know, (y\n). I might cause the lad a fright if he see me."  
I hugged him tightly and said, "He won't be afraid of you. He understands it's not any of your faults and he's more than happy to get to know how all of you really are. Once he sees what you're really like, I'm sure you'll both get along just fine."  
He smiled a little a little and nodded. "All right, lass. I'll meet the land lubber." He pickled me up and sat me on my feet.   
"Wonderful!" I said, grinning widely. We exited the cove and hopped off the stage. Approaching the others, I interrupted their conversation, saying, "Mike, I'd like for you to meet Foxy."  
Foxy grinned widely and said, "Ahoy, lad! It be mighty fine te meet ye. I be sorry fer the injury I gave ye."  
Mike smiled politely and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Foxy. And I understand now it wasn't your fault."  
As they were talking, I heard the door open and saw a couple of employees enter. "Sorry to cut the conversation short guys, but we'll be opening soon and need to get ready for the day. Freddy, could you go get a wet cloth and some bandages please?" He nodded and scurried off. "Now Mike, I know you were wanting to quit and I don't blame you for it, but I'd like to make one final deal with you before you make a final decision."  
He eyed me warily but said, "All right. What is it?"  
"I haven't seen for myself what's been going on at night. You have. If you'll stay here at least one more night, I'll help you out in the office. But I need to know what's going on and I could use the extra hand in case things get more difficult."  
Marion screeched suddenly and wrapped his arms around my leg. "No, you can't! What if you get hurt? We need you, (y\n)!"  
"Hush, Mary," I snapped. That's why I'm asking Mike to stay. Two sets of eyes are better than one."  
Mike bit his lip in contemplation. Finally he responded, "If I do this, you'll let me go the fourth night?"  
I nodded. "Yes. I won't hold you to the contract. I'll pay you for the work you've done, I may even transfer you to the day shift if you'd like to keep a job here."  
He nodded slowly. "All right. I'll stay here one more night."  
I sighed in relief. "Great." At that moment, Freddy returned with the supplies. I took them from him and bent down to Mike's leg.  
"Really, (y\n), I can take care of it myself," he said, blushing a little.  
"I told you, Mike, it's the least I can do." I gently dabbed at the cut, causing him to hiss in pain. "Just a little more." I finished cleaning off the wound and put some ointment on a piece of gauze. I placed it against the cut and wrapped some bandages around his leg to hold it in place. "There we go. That should have you all fixed up for a while.  
Mike smiled. "Thank you, (y\n). I feel better already.  
I blushed a little and said, " No problem. Thank you for agreeing to stay. And like I said, you're welcome to work another position if you wish. I'll work on coming up with a solution to the problem once I see what's going on. I may have a theory, but I really need to know exactly what's happening."  
"Speaking of solutions to problems," Marion piped up, "did you happen to get a music box?"  
I rolled my eyes and said, "Yes, Mary, I bought you a music box. I think I even managed to find one with the tune you used to like so I hope you enjoy it."  
"Yay!" he cheered happily hugging me again. "Thank you, (y\n)!"  
I chuckled and patted his head. "You're welcome, dear. It's in my car right now but I'll get one of the workers to set it up later."  
As we were speaking, I heard the laughter of some children. "Well, it sounds like we have some customers. You guys get back to your spots. Mike, you go on and head home. Get some sleep and relax a bit. We've got a big night ahead of us."


	9. Chapter 9

\- Mike's P.O.V. - 

I slowly exited the pizzeria and stumbled my way home. My leg stung a little, but the pain was bearable. I entered my apartment door and crashed down onto the couch, not even bothering to eat or shower, and let my exhaustion consume me.  
Why the hell did I agree to come back another night? I told myself I was quitting now and yet here I am signed up for another night. This was by far the stupidest decision I'd ever made. Oh wait, I know. Boss or not, I still really like (y\n). I don't even know if she feels the same or not, but I can't make myself say no to her. And after her proposal and finally meeting the crew and seeing what they're really like, I wanted to help. And I definitely didn't want to leave (y\n) alone to figure it all out herself. I was terrified of dying, but I'd hate myself if I left and she got killed trying to fix things. After all, it wasn't her fault things were going wrong and I could tell it wasn't the animatronics' faults either.  
I sighed heavily and buried my face in the cushions. At least I'd have an extra set of eyes and limbs helping me out this time. And (y\n) said she had a theory what the problem could be. I hope it's accurate. We'll both be goners soon enough if it's not.

\- Reader's P.O.V. - 

I watched Mike leave and returned to the solace of my office. The animatronics had already returned to their positions and began entertaining the family that had just entered. They were technically early, but my mind was reeling too much to bother saying anything.  
I sat at my desk and placed my head in my hands, sighing in frustration. If what I read online is correct, two employees died years ago while wearing the suits of Fredbear\Golden Freddy and Spring Bonnie. And after that accident, strange things began occurring. My theory was that the spirits of those two employees never left and are now trying to take their revenge on the restaurant by using the peaceful spirits within the animatronics to do the killing they once did freely. But how I could prove that, let alone stop it, I didn't know. That's one reason I needed to see what was happening for myself. I needed to know what happened at night.  
Also, I needed to have a little heart to heart with Goldie. I didn't know if he remembered anything or not, but if he did, I need to know about it. Not only that, but it's possible he could have immunity to the effects. Doubtful, but it's something to hope on.  
And I couldn't stop thinking about the other animatronic. The original Bonnie, at least, that's what he seemed to be. Springtrap. Reading that he malfunctioned almost frequently, I wondered if he might have done so willingly. Could he have at that time? I don't know what sort of programming animatronics had in that time period. But obviously, the engineering needed improvement.  
After a while, I received a knock on the door. Once more, Candace poked her head in, smiling shyly. I perked up a little and said, "Yes, what is it?"  
"Um, (y\n), the Puppet is pitching a bit of a fit. Every break he has or every time an employee passes by him, he pesters us about some music box. S-some of us were just wanting to know what we should do," she murmured.  
I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Ugh, I told him I'd get him a music box to replace the one he had at the previous establishment. I told him before we opened I had it sitting in my car." I handed her my keys and asked, "Would you mind getting it and setting it up on the counter in the Prize Corner? It's not heavy and I think it just needs some batteries."  
"Will it make him stop whining?" she asked, wrinkling her nose a little.  
I chuckled and said, "Yes, it should. Until he wants something else, anyway."  
She quickly snatched the keys and practically rand out the door. I laughed softly and leaned back into my chair. Thinking about it for a moment though, I soon found myself frowning worriedly. I had heard stories about the last location with the toy animatronics. It seemed everyone was just as deadly then, but I remembered one rumor in particular about the Marionette. One of the tasks of a night guard was to keep the music box wound and pacify the the Puppet. If you didn't, the Puppet would leave his box in the Prize Corner and come for you. I might be adding some else for Mike and I to keep track of. I hoped not.  
The rest of the day passed by normally with no disturbances or issues whatsoever. According to the employees, Marion was quite satisfied with his new friend. As the employees left a handful at a time, I made my way out of the office and to the main stage. It was time Goldie and I had a little talk.  
I approached the stage and the four head of the primary entertainers swiveled in my direction, all of their faces grinning except for Goldie who seemed to have a perpetual, mischievous smirk. I smiled and greeted, "Good evening, everyone."   
"Hi, (y\n)!" Chica blurted out quickly before any of the others could respond.  
"I trust you all had a good day?" I asked.  
Bonnie nodded enthusiastically and said, "It was great! The kids really liked my sweet guitar solos, and no one shoved pizza in my exoskeleton!" he boasted proudly.  
Freddy, taking on a more somber tone, said, "Today was a really good day, (y\n), but I'm still really worried about tonight. I know you're going to be helping Mike so it's not just going to be one of you back there, but none of us want to hurt either of you, especially not you."  
Chica and Bonnie frowned sadly, and Chica whimpered, "(y\n), please don't stay tonight. We'd be devastated if we hurt you or... Or... K-killed you. You've become a part of our little family and we don't want to ruin it."  
I forced a small smile and said, "I know you guys are worried. I'm a little scared too. But we have to figure out what's going on, and the only way I can do that is to see what's happening myself. I can't keep asking Mike to deal with it himself because not only does he not understand your parents yet, but whatever is taking control of you all will find a way to kill him. And don't worry too much just yet. I do have a theory as to what's going on. I just need proof. What to do if I happen to be right, I don't know yet, but we need to start somewhere. So please try to relax some and we'll get to the bottom of this, I promise."  
They nodded slowly, still looking anxious but accepting there wasn't a better option. I turned to Golden Freddy and said, "Goldie, I need to speak with you."  
He crossed his arms and shrugged, saying, "OK, shoot."  
I shook my head at him. "In private."  
He uncrossed his arms, frowning. "Oh... OK then."  
He stepped off the stage and followed me to the security office. I sat in the chair Mike called home for the past few nights and shut the door to ensure privacy. I looked up at the golden bear, wondering where exactly to begin, and settled on saying, "You've been a part of this company for quite some time."  
He nodded slowly, a look of confusion and apprehension present in his eyes. "Yeah, I have."  
"You were hear before any of the others," I continued.  
"Uh... Yeah. So?"  
"You were here even before Fredbear's Diner... Weren't you, Fredbear."  
His eyes grew wide and he took a shaky step back. I could hear his gears winding anxiously, and his ears fell flat against his head. Odd as it was to say so, Golden Freddy looked scared. "W-where did you hear that name?" he rasped, voice quaking horribly.  
"I've been doing a little research, Goldie, research on the history of this restaurant. I thought I'd hit a dead end before trying to find out the truth behind phone guy, but apparently, there was much more to be discovered. You were once a headliner, along with another animatronic by the name of Spring Bonnie, later dubbed Springtrap. But you two were unique. Unlike your current colleagues, your suits were wearable. But given it was new technology, the engineering was faulty, and within a short time period, your suits malfunctioned killing two employees. That was not the only accident to occur, but it was the first."  
As I spoke, Goldie backed himself into the wall. He shook his head vigorously as if trying to forget an awful memory. "W-why are you saying all of this?! What does this have to do with what's happening now?! W-what happened then was years ago, decades before you were even a thought in your parents' heads. How is this relevant? What, is this some sort of punishment for scaring Mike?! Reminding me of the past?!"  
I held my hands up calmly, trying to get him to relax. "Goldie, please, I'm not bringing this up to torture you. Yes, I do think that event may be relevant, but I need to know everything that happened. I read stories about ghostly figures of a bear and a rabbit being seen after the death of those two employees, but I need you to tell me if it's true. I'm afraid they never left, and now that you all have stopped killing night guards, I think they're trying to get revenge for their deaths. Please, just tell me what you know. Any information you have could be valuable."  
He stopped quivering as much and nodded, sinking down to a sitting position. "It's true when you say odd things started happening," he murmured. "For a long time, the ghosts of those employees did haunt the restaurant, appearing mostly to night guards or patrons that had wandered off into a quiet part of the building. We lost a lot of customers after that, especially once Springtrap began to constantly malfunction. We shut down after a short time before moving to a new location. That's when Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Freddy were created. Obviously, they lacked wearable technology, and my endoskeleton was reconfigured to prevent anyone from wearing my suit again. The spirits followed us there like a plague though, adding to the reasons we got shut down again. Of course, you already know the primary reason. When we moved to the precious restaurant and were used as spare parts for the toys, we thought the spirits had gone. I mean, we heard a couple of night guards mention odd apparitions, but none of us ever saw anything so we dismissed it. I haven't seen them here, but if they have followed us here and they are taking control of us, someone will die and chances are, it will be very soon."  
I nodded slowly, letting everything he just said sink it. "So the others knew about the ghosts of those employees?"  
"Yeah, they did. But they never knew what happened to them. I always kept it a secret. I've felt guilty about it since the accident happen even though I couldn't have prevented it if I wanted to," he said.  
"And you really don't know of any way to stop them?" I asked anxiously, my brow creasing.  
He shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, (y\n). I wish I did but I don't."  
I sighed heavily and looked down at the desk. It seemed we may be doomed after all. If Goldie didn't know how to stop them, how was I supposed to figure it out?  
"Can I go back to the others now?" Goldie asked, interrupting my thoughts.  
I nodded and softly said, "Of course, Goldie. Go ahead."  
I lifted the doors and he turned to leave when I had a sudden thought come to me. "Goldie, wait. I have one more question for you."  
He glanced back at me and said, "What is it, (y\n)?"  
"About your partner, Spring Bonnie -"  
"He's not my partner," Goldie hissed, taking on a hostile tone.  
I blinked in surprise for a moment before saying, "I take it you two didn't exactly get along?"  
He growled and responded, "Not after the accident. When that happened, something changed inside him. He became dark, corrupted, as if he liked seeing humans in pain. It was sickening. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say he started malfunctioning on purpose."  
I nodded slowly. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I was just a little curious what happened to him. I never read any article about him getting scrapped so I thought you might know."  
Goldie snorted hotly and muttered, "I don't know what happened to him. All I heard was that he was being moved elsewhere. But I hope he got scrapped. After the way he became, he deserved it."  
"Ok, Goldie. Forget I asked. You can go back to the others now. I'm going to check in on Mary and Foxy before Mike gets here. Good night, and hopefully we'll be able to get to the bottom of what's happening."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!  
> Ugh, I know it's been forever since I uploaded another chapter. College is slowly killing me! But I'm really going to try to get my creative juices flowing and get busy on writing again. First step, upload a really crappy chapter to make up for the absence!

I did a quick check on Mary and Foxy and found them both anxiously awaiting midnight. Well, Foxy was anyway. Mary seemed rather indifferent about the whole thing. Plus he was too busy admiring his new music box. At least it kept him pacified and out of everyone's hair.  
I sat out in the main room with the others, drumming my fingers against the table I was sitting at while the others stood quietly onstage. It wasn't long before Mike showed up, a forced smile on his face. I looked up at him as he entered, offering a small smile of my own.  
"Hey, Mike. Get any sleep?" I asked. It didn't look as if he had. He had dark bags under his eyes that made it look as if he hadn't slept in weeks.  
"Not really," he mumbled. "Did you?"  
I laughed dryly and shook my head. "Since becoming owner of this place, I never sleep anymore. Hiring you was supposed to fix that. So much for the effort."  
"Sorry, (y\n). I wish I could fix that for you," he said.  
I tsked and said, "Don't apologize, Mike. It's not your fault. It's none of our faults, really." I got to my feet and stretched then smiled a little. "But we'll get to the bottom of things. Hopefully tonight will give us some answers."  
Mike paled a little but nodded. "Y-yeah. M-maybe so."  
I rolled my eyes and chuckled, "You worry too much. Relax, all right? With an extra set of eyes, things should go just fine. And besides, it's only night three. It'll be a piece of cake with both of us back there."  
Mike sighed in resignation and muttered, "If you say so...."  
I glanced at my watch and noticed it was fifteen till. "We should get to the office. It'll be midnight soon."  
Mike nodded. "All right then."  
We began to walk back to the office when Freddy piped up. "(Y\n), could I speak with you a moment before you go?"  
I nodded and said, "All right, Freddy, but make it quick. Mike, you head on back to the office."  
He continued down the hallway and I climbed onstage and came to stand in front of Freddy. "What is it, Freddy?"  
He shuffled his feet nervously and said, "I was thinking a bit earlier, and I'm worried. More so than I already was, I mean. You bought Mary that music box. Well, in the last location, the night guard would have to keep it wound. Otherwise, Mary would kill them. What if you have you and Mike another task?"  
I pursed my lips and responded, "Admittedly, I started thinking about that earlier myself. But even so, I doubt it'll be a problem. If we do have to keep an eye on Marion, it'll only be one more thing to keep track of. That shouldn't be that big a deal. Besides, unlike the last location, this one has doors. It'll probably be about like dealing with Foxy if he does get out."  
"OK...," Freddy said hesitantly. "But like you were telling Mike, this is night three. I start becoming active night three. What if you have to add me to the list."  
I smiled softly and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Freddy. It'll be fine. Mike and I will make it through all right and I'm sure it won't be that bad. If we have two more of you to deal with, we'll find a way, OK? So stop worrying so much. And that goes for the rest of you," I said, glancing at the remaining trio. They looked back and forth at each other but slowly nodded in recognition.  
I glanced at my watch again and gasped. It was only a minute till midnight! "I've gotta run, guys. See you at 6!" I hopped off the stage and sprinted down the hallway. I slid into the security office right as the bells chimed midnight, nearly slamming into Mike. He yelped in shock and had to steady himself against the desk, simultaneously grabbing me by the waist and pulling me upright. I blushed darkly and stuttered, "U-uh, t-thanks Mike. S-sorry."  
He wore a blush of his own and cleared his throat, looking away from my face. "I-it was nothing, (y\n)." He set me down and took a step back. "I was about to come get you. You cut it rather close, you know."  
I nodded slowly and said, "Yeah, I know. At least I made it, though."  
We had both been acting too bashfully to even notice the phone ringing or phone guy's message coming to an end. I shuddered and glared at the phone, muttering, "I'm definitely going to have to figure out how to shut that off in the morning."  
"So how exactly do you want to do this, (y\n)?" Mike asked, anxiety creeping into his features.   
"I figured the easiest thing to do would be for you to check the cameras and for me to check the doors," I answered. I pulled a flashlight out of my back pocket and added, "We won't even need to waste power with the door light. I've got it."   
Mike chuckled a little and said, "Well, it looks like you've got it covered."  
I nodded and said, "You bet. I have another 'cheat,' but before I decide how to use it, I need you to do me a favor and check on Prize Corner."  
He creased his brow in confusion, but looked down at the tablet and did as I asked. When he tapped on the camera, he frowned and stared blankly at the screen. "Er... (Y\n), what is this? I didn't see it the last two nights."  
I looked over his shoulder at the tablet and felt my heart sink a little. Sure enough, there was a button to press and hold down in order to keep the music box wound. I groaned and mentally kicked myself. "I forgot till earlier that at the previous location, the only way to pacify the Puppet was to keep the music box wound. By getting him a new one, I unintentionally added another task to our list."  
Mike gulped nervously. "O-oh...," he responded quietly.  
I forced a small smile and said, "No matter. Now that I know what all we have to keep track of, I can tell you the best way to maintain power. You see, it's not technically necessary to keep an eye on all of the rooms. The only ones you really need to look at are Pirate's Cove, the main stage, and Prize Corner. And if Bonnie, Chica, and Goldie all leave, you can mark the main stage off your list as well."  
He blinked a few times in disbelief. "You're serious? That's it?"  
I nodded. "Yes, but don't get too confident. Even though it's only a few screens, it's still incredibly difficult. And as I'm sure you've noticed, each night becomes increasingly harder. So I advise you start checking the cameras and keep the music box wound. I'll keep an eye on the doors."  
That said, I walked over to the right hallway and leaned out a little, shining my flashlight in the hallway. It was clear of Chica and Freddy, granted as early as it was, I expected that. I switched off the flashlight and walked over to the left. Repeating the same task, I noticed that hallway was clear as well. Turning off the flashlight and stepping back into the room, I glanced at Mike and asked, "How's everything look?"  
"Foxy is peeking through the curtains. Other than that, no one has left yet."  
I nodded and said, "All right. Let me know when they start to move."  
Mere moments later, Mike gasped and shrieked, "Bonnie and Chica are gone!"  
"Mike, relax," I said slowly. "We'll be OK. Just keep an eye on the cameras I mentioned, and I'll keep a lookout for Bonnie and Chica." I walked back and forth between the doors, flashing my light and waiting to see who would arrive first."

\- Freddy's P.O.V. - 

I whimpered softly as I watched my friends descend from the stage. I didn't have to look at them to know that their eyes were black with small white dots in the center. I glanced over at Goldie and noticed that even he seemed nervous. It certainly didn't help when the jokester of the crew was scared.  
I stared straight ahead, forcing myself to keep calm. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some movement. Before I could turn to see what it was, a face had appeared in front of me. I gasped in surprise and fear to find Shadow Freddy floating in front of me. He looked just like Goldie and me, but he was gray and somewhat transparent.   
He grinned sadistically and floated closer to me. My mind began to reel the moment I realized what he planned to do, what he and Shadow Bonnie had already done to Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. "No!" I rasped out, taking a step back. Within moments, he had gone inside of my exoskeleton, melding into my endoskeleton and taking control of me. I felt my head turn and saw Goldie staring at me with fear and despair.   
My feet began to move forward and I felt myself slowly descend from the stage. I tried to fight, but it was no use. Shadow Freddy was in total control of me. And if the shadows were the reason behind what was happening to us, Mike and (y\n) were in terrible danger.

\- Mike's P.O.V. - 

I kept flipping through the cameras as (y\n) suggested, winding the music box every few moments and resting at short intervals to keep the battery from draining too quickly. So far, Wed received visits from both Bonnie and Chica, but neither had lingered for too long. Foxy was leaning out a bit farther, but he hasn't left yet. It seemed as if our system was working.  
I flipped back to the main stage and frowned, releasing a small groan. "(Y\n), Freddy is gone now."  
She frowned and bit her lip. "I was worried that might happen. He's tricky to keep out. But I'm sure we'll manage. Things seem to be working well so far." She quickly maneuvered her way to the left door and leaned out, shining her light. She yelped and fell backwards, quickly slamming the door shut and gasping for air.  
"(Y\n)! Are you OK?!" I shouted, concern lacing my voice.   
She nodded slowly, panting. "Y-yeah. F-Freddy was just a little too close for comfort is all." Then, her face turned contemplative. "Odd. I noticed his eyes were black with small white dots in the middle."  
I shrugged. "So? Aren't they always like that at night?"  
She shook her head and said, "No, they're usually blue like they are during the day. Have you noticed if the others are the same?"  
"Yeah, they are. Why, does that mean something?" I asked.  
She tapped her chin and "hmmed" softly. "I'm not entirely sure. But it might. It's the only thing I've really noticed that's different so it's a start." So stood and dusted herself off before opening the door again and peeking out. "The coast is clear. How are we doing on power?"  
I glanced down at the tablet and saw we still had 20%. "We've got 20% left to go."  
She looked at her watch and grinned widely. "That's more than we'll need. Our shift ends in 3... 2... 1"   
Right as she finished counting down, the bells chimed for 6 a.m. and the sound of metallic footsteps shuffling through the restaurant was audible. (Y\n) squealed happily and run over, hugging me tightly. "See? I told you we'd be fine!" She looked up at me with an excited grin before a blush slowly started to rise to her cheeks. I felt one of my own appearing. She quickly released me and cleared her throat in embarrassment. "S-sorry, Mike."  
I grinned bashfully and said, "I-it's fine. I don't mind."  
She smiled softly and there was a silent pause for a few moments before she spoke up, saying, "Well, I guess we should go let the others know that they didn't kill us. Come on!"  
She grabbed my hand and pulled me from the chair, tugging me down the hallway with her. If only we knew that it wasn't through sheer luck or skill that we made it through the night. Once night four came, we we're going to be in for hell.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! I'm on fire with these uploads! Two days in a row. Let's see if I can keep it up! Anyway, let me know what you guys think so far. Any and all feedback mis appreciated. It's starting to get a little steamy in here.

\- Reader's P.O.V. - 

I practically ran to the dining room, Mike in tow behind me. As soon as I entered the room, Chica grabbed me in a bone breaking hug.  
"I'm so, so, so, so sorry, (y\n)!" she screeched.  
"Chica... Can't... Breathe," I gasped out.  
She yelped and dropped me, a guilty expression clear on her face. "S-sorry...," she mumbled.  
"Chica, it's OK," I reassured her. "Mike and I are both fine. I told you everything would be OK."  
"But it's not OK, is it...," Freddy murmured, his voice barely a whisper.  
I creased my brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
"I mean it's not OK!" he shouted suddenly before breaking down in choked sobs. "I-i almost killed you guys," he cried, voice quaking.  
"It's not just you though, Freddy. It's happening to all of you. And it's not your fault," I spoke, trying to calm him.  
"I don't think it's just that, (y\n)," Goldie said quietly. "We know what's happening."  
"You do?!" we all gasped out.  
"That's great!" I exclaimed. "That means we can finally start getting to the bottom of things!"  
Goldie shook his head solemnly. "No, it's not great. There's not a positive aspect to it. It just proves that we're all doomed. Freddy and I know this, and once the others hear the truth, they'll know too."  
I gulped nervously but steeled myself, saying, "Well, at least tell us what it is."  
"I-it's the shadows," Freddy murmured, eliciting a gasp from the others. "T-they've been inhabiting our suits at night and controlling us."  
I frowned and sighed heavily. "It's just as I suspected," I muttered.  
"Wait, you already knew about this?" Mike asked, gaping.  
"I didn't know about it," I said. "I suspected it as a possibility. I'd heard of the shadows and figured that was the closest lead. I suppose tonight just proves it. But are you guys absolutely sure?"  
"We're positive, (y\n)," Goldie stated firmly.  
"I-i saw him," Freddy whispered, shuddering. "He went inside of me! H-he just took control of me as if it was nothing!"  
Goldie wrapped an arm around Freddy and hugged him close, patting his head gently. Freddy curled into Goldie's chest and sobbed quietly, oily tears streaming his cheeks.  
There's one thing I don't understand, though," muttered Marionette. "If there's only two of them, how are they able to control all of us? And why doesn't it happen during the day?"  
"I'm pretty sure I know that answer," said Goldie. "Firstly, they're apparitions. They're not bodies like the rest of us. That means they're probably able to divide themselves and divvy control amongst more than one of us. Secondly, they're shadows. And everyone knows shadows work best in the darkness. So I imagine that daylight drains them. And besides, since when have the animatronics been known to hurt customers?"  
"Ye mean besides the bite o '87?" Foxy muttered bitterly.  
"Well, we know how the operate," I said, ignoring his comment. "Now how do we stop them?"  
"That's the thing," said Goldie. "You can't stop them. They're ghosts. You can't hurt them. You can't get rid of them. Owners have tried for years and none of them have succeeded."  
I shook my head and said, "Well, I'm going to have to try something tonight."  
"Tonight?!" Bonnie shrieked. "You can't honestly tell us you're planning on coming back! (Y\n), we'll kill you!"  
"Bonnie, I have to. I can't just ignore the problem and it's not like I can let someone else come in and take the beating. That's irresponsible of me and could mean someone innocent getting killed," I sighed in resignation.  
"But what if you get hurt? Or what if we k-kill you? You know from experience that each night gets harder," whimpered Chica.  
I nodded and said, "I do know that, Chica. But it's a risk I'll just have to take."  
"Why can't you do like last night?" pleaded Marion. "You said yourself that two sets of eyes are better than one."  
"Guys, I'm not asking Mike to stay another night. We made a deal. He kept his side of the bargain and now it's my turn to keep my side." I turned to Mike and said, "You're free to go. I won't keep you here any longer. You're welcome to come back tomorrow morning and we can discuss you moving to the day shift. But you don't have to remain a night guard."  
He bit his lip and looked down, seeming as if he was contemplating something. I cocked to my head to the side in confusion. "Mike? You can go now."  
He shook his head and cursed under his breath before he looked up at me, determination in his eyes. "I'm not leaving," he stated firmly.  
I creased my brow. "I don't understand."  
"I said I'm not leaving," he repeated a little louder. "I'm not just going to walk away and let you get yourself killed. (Y\n), this is obviously something you can't just deal with alone. You need someone to help you and at the moment, I'm the best person for the job. I agree with Mary, the best way to go about this for now is for us to work together."  
"But Mike, you could get yourself killed!" I argued stubbornly. "I can't let that happen. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."  
"Damn it, (y\n), I don't care! I love you and I'm staying here with you!" he shouted, face turning slightly red.  
I blushed and gaped openly, mouth opening and closing a few times and weak stutters leaving my lips. Mike stood there a moment, breathing heavily, before his slip registered and he turned scarlet from embarrassment. "Gah! (Y\n), I didn't mean!... What meant was... It's just that... Uh...," he went silent again and hung his head.  
"You... Love me?" I asked quietly, staring up at Mike with wide eyes.  
"I... W-well i... Um... Ah, screw it," he growled before roughly grabbing my shoulders and pulling me toward him, smashing his lips against mine. I squeaked in surprise and blushed darkly, initially tensing up, before relaxing into the kiss. My eyes fluttered close and I found myself leaning into him, slowly kissing back. After a few moments, we released for air, panting slightly. "Does that answer your question?" he asked, a small smirk gracing his lips.  
I nodded slowly and dumbly replied, "U-uh huh..."  
He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging my close together. Setting his chin on top of my head, he said, "We'll get through this together, OK? You don't have to do this alone. I'll be here for you and I'm going to do whatever I can to help you figure this out. I promise."  
I hugged him back and leaned my head against his chest. "Thank you, Mike," I murmured softly. "This really means a lot to me."  
Cue the animatronics. Freddy and Goldie both started whistling and Chica squealed, shrieking, "Omigosh I ship it so hard!"  
I blushed darkly and hid my face in Mike's shirt while Mike was blushing as well and trying to look at anything but the animatronics. Mary snickered and said, "Hey, Foxy, looks like you've got some competition."  
"We not be likin each other like that!" he shouted, glaring at Mary while I giggled.  
Mike nudged me and I saw him wearing a confused expression. "Competition?"  
I grinned and said, "The others always liked to poke fun at Foxy, saying he had a crush on me."  
I !wanted forward and whispered, "He doesn't really, does he?"  
I laughed and said, "Of course not, silly."  
While we were joking and laughing, I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up and noticed Candace standing there awkwardly, a few other employees shuffling by behind her. "Um... Am I interrupting something?"  
I quickly separated from Mike and smoothed my clothes. "Of course not. What do you need, dear?"  
"Well, the other entrances are locked and we're supposed to be getting supplies in today and you're the only one with the keys," she said quickly.  
I nodded and quickly pulled the keys out of my pocket, tossing them to her. "Here, you know what to do." She nodded and headed on to unlock the doors.  
"(Y\n), would you mind if I make a suggestion?" asked Mike.  
"Of course, Mike. Go ahead," I replied, smiling softly.  
"Why don't you take a day off today? I know you're tired. I certainly am. You need the rest and I'm sure you'll want some time too try and figure out what to do tonight."  
I bit my lip and looked away. "I don't know. I really don't feel comfortable just leaving on short notice."  
"Please, (y\n)? You need to sleep," Mike pleaded.  
"You haven't taken a day off since you started working here. You deserve it," added Freddy.  
"Not to mention it'll give you extra to e to get acquainted with your new boyfriend," snickered Mary, winking playfully.  
"I can cover for you!" shouted Candace from somewhere in the building.  
I sighed in exasperation and said, "All right, all right, I'll go, OK? Happy now?"  
"Very," murmured Mike, nuzzling my hair.  
I blushed darkly and began pulling him toward the e trance to leave. "Behave, you guys! We'll be back at 11."  
"OK, (y\n)! See ya!" they shouted.  
I chuckled and shook my head. Mike took my hand and I looked down at our intertwined fingers before gazing up at this smiling face. He kissed my forehead and said, "Let's go get some rest."  
I nodded and yawned. "Definitely. Your place or mine?"  
A look of panic crossed his face and he quickly responded, "Let's got to your place!"  
I snickered and said, "Typical bachelor pad, huh?"  
He grinned sheepishly and replied, "I guess you could say that."  
I laughed and shook my head, saying, "My place it is." We walked over to my car and climbed in, buckling ourselves into the seat.  
We drove in silence for a while when I noticed his eyes on me for a while. I glanced over self consciously and said, "What?"  
"You never responded, you know," he said softly.  
I creased my brow in confusion, "What do you mean? Respond to what?"  
"When I said I loved you," he clarified. "You never said if you love me back."  
I blushed darkly and mentally face palmed. "O-oh..." I went quiet for a few moments and I could sense Mike growing worried by the silence. I finally responded, "Yes, Mike, I do love you. A lot, really. I liked you the moment you walked through the door. You're sweet, kind, caring, a hard worker, and you help people. And I really appreciate that." I smiled at him and reached over, lacing my fingers with his.  
He smiled back at me and kissed the back of my hand. "I'm so very happy to hear that, (y\n). You mean a lot to me."  
I went back to silence until we got to my place. I put the car in park and looked over at Mike. "Well, this is it."  
I smiled a little and said, "This is a nice little house you've got here."  
"Thanks," I responded before opening the door. Mike got out behind me and followed me into the house. "Can I get you anything? Something to eat or drink?"  
He shook his head and smiled. "I'm good, thanks. Honestly, I just want to get some sleep. I'm exhausted."  
I nodded and said, "You and me both. Well, I don't have a guest bedroom, but you're welcome to have my bed."  
Mike shook his head and quickly replied, "Don't be ridiculous, (y\n). I'm not going to take your bed. I'll just sleep on the couch. That's what I have at my apartment anyway."  
I stubbornly shook my head and growled, "Mike Schmidt, there is no way I am going to let you sleep on my couch. As long as you're here, you're going to get a decent rest."  
He crossed his arms stubbornly and asked, "Fine then. What do you propose?"  
I bit my lip in contemplation, a small blush rising to my cheeks. "Well,... We could share the bed, I guess..."  
He blushed a little too and said, "Oh... That works I suppose." He cleared his throat and extended his hand. "Shall we, milady?"  
I giggled and took his hand, leading him to my room. When we entered,I went and sat on the bed cross legged, facing him. I pointed and said, "There's a bathroom down the hall. You're welcome to shower. I'll was your clothes for you too, if you'd like. You saw the kitchen when we entered. You're more than welcome to get whatever you want from it."  
He nodded and came over, sitting beside me. He picked me up, causing a small yelp to escape my lips, and sat me on his lap, holding me against his chest. There was something oddly comforting about being held like this, as if nothing bad could happen. He nuzzled his face into my hair and sighed softly. Grasping my chin between his thumb and forefinger, he turned my face toward his and kissed my lips gently, murmuring, "Let's get some sleep."  
I gulped, my heart fluttering wildly, but nodded slowly. "O-ok."  
He smiled and pulled me down with him, his arm wrapped around my waist and my back pressed against him. Hugging me closer, he yawned a little and said, "Good night, (y\n)."  
I sighed contentedly and settled into the position, smiling softly. "Good night, Mike."  
So this is what love feels like.


End file.
